


Can I Pet It?

by KaijuKatty



Series: My Prompt Archive [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: AU, Apartment AU, Fluff, Happy, M/M, puppy, the gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 09:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3115532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaijuKatty/pseuds/KaijuKatty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann has a puppy, and it's the excuse Newt's been waiting for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can I Pet It?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Editfriends](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Editfriends/gifts).



Hermann sighed when he heard the knock on the door, and groaned when it started a fresh round of barking. 

He grabbed his cane off the coffee table and shuffled to the door.    


"Oh will you please shut up?" He begged tiredly, tripping over the wriggly creature on his way . 

He looked through the peep hole and saw who he thought was the man who lived under his apartment; Newton something or other?

The man was obviously wearing some form of pajamas, as he was standing in the apartment complexes hall in socks, ratty sweat pants, and a faded-beyond-recognition t-shirt. 

Why he was wearing pajamas at three in the afternoon Hermann didn't know, but he opened the door wide enough to speak to the man, but not wide enough for the puppy to get out. 

He jammed his foot in the crack for good measure. 

"Hey uh- Hermann right?" The man said, obviously nervous. 

"Yes, can I help you?" He said, suppressing a shiver when he felt a wet nose ghost over his ankle. 

The man was probably here to complain about all the noise, and to be honest, Hermann didn't blame him. The puppy had only been here a few days and he felt like he hadn't slept in months. 

He made another mental reminder to never let Karla do this to him again. 

The man smiled warmly at him. "Yeah hi- I'm Newt, I live in the place below you." 

He nodded. "I assumed so. I apologize for the noise, but I assure you the dog won't be here longer than two weeks at the most." 

Newt shook his head, "No  no , I'm not here about that- well  kinda , but not like that." 

Hermann raised his eyebrows, confused. 

He hissed when the puppy yelped excitedly and started clawing at his leg, trying to greet the stranger. 

He turned, fuming, and picked up the dog so it would stop. "Oh will you- ugh!" 

The dog started licking his face energetically, and he sputtered. 

Newt chuckled. "Oh dude, gross." 

Hermann turned back to him. "Yes well, I'm glad you're enjoying this, can you please-" 

"Oh yea! Sorry. Well I heard the doggy running around and barking and stuff… and I was  kinda … wondering if I could come pet it?" Newts voice climbed an octave or two at the end, forming his question. 

Hermann stared at him, the fluffy nuisance in question wriggling excitedly in his hands. "What?"

Newt put his hands up and backed up a pace. "I know I know- we don't even know each other, this is totally intruding. But dude, I'm working on my third doctorate and I'm so stressed out right now I can hardly breathe and I just- can I?" He rubbed the back of his neck, and bit his lip nervously, looking at Hermann hopefully. 

He shifted the puppy in his arms, "I- Uh- sure?" He said, stepping back to allow Newt to enter his apartment. 

Newt grinned brightly, "Really? Sweet! Dude you rock." 

"It's no problem." He said, putting the puppy down and allowing it to chase Newt into the living room. 

He followed the two of them more slowly. 

"So what's it's name?" Newt called. 

Hermann sighed, entering the room and sitting on the couch while Newt romped on the floor with the dog. "Honestly? I've got no idea." 

  


\------------------------------ \--------

  


Hermann paused, hand hovering centimeters above the door. 

This was a terrible idea, he thought, but knocked anyways. 

The dog- (not-so) affectionately nicknamed 'Hey You' by Hermann (and 'Darling Baby' by Newt, but he wasn't going to be caught dead saying that) was tugging on her leash, excited to go for a walk.

He heard a muffled "Just a minute!" from within the apartment, followed by loud thumping footsteps. 

A disheveled Newt opened the door, grinning broadly. 

He looked as if he had just woken up, his hair was a mess, he was wearing another faded shirt, and  godzilla  boxers. 

"Hey Herms, hey Darling Baby!" He said, voice scratchier than usual from sleep. 

"If this is a bad time I can-" He started.

Newt waved him off and leaned against the doorway. "Nah it's cool, 'sup?" 

"Well- I was just about to walk the dog, and I was wondering if you'd…" He trailed off, unsure. 

Beaming, Newt straightened up. "Yea, yeah! Just like, give me five minutes?" 

Without waiting for an answer he took off back into his apartment. 

Hermann watched in amusement as he skidded around the corner. 

He reappeared shortly, wearing a blue t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and a grey and red striped hoodie. 

He hopped awkwardly into his shoes, and tumbled out in front of  Hermann. 

He chuckled and helped him upright, "Alright there?" 

Newt yawned and shut his door, locking it with a click. "Yea  m'cool  dude." 

Hermann took in the exhausted man before him, "Really, if you'd rather-" 

"Nah man, if I stay in there any longer  imma  explode. Fresh airs just what I need." 

Hermann pressed the elevator button, and Newt leaned up against the wall. Attempting to look cool, but looking more ridiculous than anything.

It was a lovely fall day, the air was crisp but not unpleasant, the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze. The small trees along the sidewalk were a lovely mix of red and green. 

As they made their way down the street- towards a small park near their apartment building, Hermann noticed it wasn't too crowded outside either. 

Suddenly, Newt grabbed Hey  You's  leash from him and took off running. 

"Newton! What are you-"

Newt turned, jogging backwards. "Last one  theres  a rotten egg!" 

"Honestly. You are a child!" Hermann shouted after him, making no attempt to catch up. 

Newt just grinned at him and turned back around, Hey You excitedly yapping at his heels.

When he did catch up to them, Newt was reclining on a bench, and the dog sniffing fallen leaves nearby. 

He Newt in the back of the head with his cane as he approached. "You are a child, Newton." He sighed, repeating his previous statement and sitting beside him. 

Newt grinned. "I know, it's more fun than the alternative though- which you somehow strangely rock by the way." He said, watching the puppy romp on the end of its leash. 

"What do you mean "strangely rock?"" He asked.

Newt stared at him, mocking shock."Oh c'mon don't act like you don't know you're totally rocking the "frumpy old man" look." 

Hermann sputtered indignantly. "I am not!"

"Sure  sure ." Newt laughed, nudging his shoulder playfully.

  


\------------------------------ \--------

  


"Do you take anything in your tea?" H e called from the kitchen. 

"Jus sugar dude!" Newt shouted back.

Hermann finished preparing their drinks, and joined Newt in his living room.

The man was laying on his back on Hermann's floor  with Hey You perched on his chest,  licking him affectionately. He stroked it and it wriggled happily, causing it to fall of his chest. 

He placed the mugs on the coffee table and sat on the couch near Newt, and Hey You sniffed his slippers excitedly.

"Did I tell you I  finished my thesis?" Newt said, joining him. 

Hermann sipped his tea. "No." 

Newt grinned at him, "Yeah, 4  am last night- I pulled an all nighter to finish. I'm surprised I'm not unconscious right now honestly. I feel so, free." 

"Mm, well I would assume so. Congratulations are in order." He said, clinking his mug to Newts. 

"Nah man don't jinx it, it's not over till it's over." Newt said,  "Fingers crossed though right?" 

He nodded, "Indeed," He took another sip of his tea before continuing. "Speaking of endings, this little nuisance's owner is picking her up at the end of the week." 

He nudged at the puppy with his toes, and it started trying to fight them. 

"Oh really? Dude that sucks. I 'm  gonna  miss you Darling Baby." he slid to the floor with the dog and started playing with her, "Yes I am, yes I am! Who's a good girl? Wh o's a good girl?" 

"Please Newton, it's a dog not an idiot." he sighed. 

Newt ignored him and continued playing with Hey You. "You  gotta  write me, every week okay Baby?" He joked, "  I'm  gonna  miss your fluffy  lil  bum.  Now that you're leaving I don't have an excuse to visit your hot baby sitter.  Goochie goochie  goo!" 

He cleared his throat. "Ahem, uh, Newton?" 

His disheveled scruffy face popped up from behind the end of the couch. "Yeah?"

"What do you mean "hot baby sitter"?" 

Newt turned a deep shade of red and sunk back behind the couch, "Uh oh, busted." 

"Newton?" Hermann said, trying to sound  authorative . 

"Okay  okay , don't hate me alright? I've kind of had this crush on you since you moved in here, but I never really had an excuse to talk to you until now. An d I just- this is so embarrassing.  I'm sorry, I'll just go." 

He got up and tried to slink to the door, but Hermann grabbed his arm and pulled him back. 

"Now why would you do that?" He said, smiling softly. 

He tugged a grinning Newt carefully onto his lap. 

\--------------------------------------


End file.
